India-France AI Policy Roundtable

Roadmap for the AI Action Summit 2025

25th January 2025
Council Chamber, IISc, Bengaluru
about

As AI advances at an unprecedented pace, addressing challenges is critical to fostering innovation and ensuring equitable global development.

India's proactive role in shaping the future of AI is evident in its active participation in global initiatives, including hosting the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) ministerial meeting and emphasizing equitable AI development during its G20 presidency in 2023. India's significant contributions to drafting UNESCO's recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence and its use of multilateral platforms like ASEAN, G42, and the Internet Governance Forum further reflect its commitment to responsible AI governance.

AI Action Summit 2025
objectives

Objectives

Unified Global AI Governance

The roundtable aims to align national positions on global AI governance to create a unified framework reflecting global preferences. Key goals include For Internal Circulation only Version 2.2 Dated 16/01/2025 establishing a scientific consensus on AI technologies, promoting open technical solutions to prevent fragmentation, harmonizing existing efforts around common terminologies and risk inventories, and enabling demonstrable self-regulation for responsible AI use. Critical issues such as deepfakes, cybersecurity, intellectual property rights, and AI bias will also be addressed.

Understanding AI Technologies and Implications

Enhancing understanding of AI technologies and their implications for the workplace, training, and education. Creating knowledge exchange avenues for AI foresight, assessing risks to consumers and society, and focusing on AI implementations that boost productivity and skill development while aligning with privacy and security values will be key discussion points.

Addressing Digital Divide and Market Concentration

Addressing the digital divide and AI market concentration risks to foster innovation and maximize AI's potential. Ensuring equal AI access for all, including companies, startups, researchers, and students, while promoting fairness, human-centered values, and inclusive innovation. Engaging the industry to drive voluntary commitments on transparency and baseline commitments for widely deployed systems will also be emphasized.

Common and Open AI Infrastructure

Developing strategies for a common and open AI infrastructure to enhance access to data and computing capacity. Discussions will focus on promoting AI accessibility, cost-effective models, and structured datasets. Establishing an AI incident database and ensuring transparency, accountability, and safety in AI systems through a lifecycle approach will be key objectives.

Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in AI

Emphasizing cultural and linguistic diversity in AI development to ensure equitable access and growth. The discussion will promote inclusivity and fairness in AI initiatives and create spaces to highlight diverse cultural and linguistic contributions, fostering an inclusive AI ecosystem that values different perspectives.

Sustaining AI Innovation and Addressing Resource Needs

Examining economic and technological tools essential for sustaining AI innovation while addressing resource needs such as skilled labor, quality data, and computing capacity. Focusing on the environmental impact of AI to ensure sustainable development and promoting inclusive and sustainable innovation for long-term digital governance.
schedule

Event Schedule

  • Jan 25

    2025

  • Feb 11

    2025

The India-France AI Policy Roundtable, on the sidelines of Technology Dialogue 2025, will serve as a platform for discussions leading up to the 2025 AI Action Summit. It aims to deliberate on key policy positions regarding global AI development and explore opportunities for synergy between India and France.

The roundtable event builds on the foundation of the 25-year India-France Strategic Partnership, a collaboration rooted in shared democratic values and a mutual dedication to leveraging technology for sustainable development. The declaration of 2026 as the India-France Year of Innovation further highlights the two nations' collective commitment to advancing technological solutions, including AI, to meet global challenges. By uniting their expertise and vision, both nations aim to foster a global AI ecosystem that prioritizes ethics, inclusivity, and sustainability.

The participation of leading researchers, policymakers, and industry representatives from India and France in the roundtable further reinforces their dedication to leveraging AI for the benefit of humanity.

25th January 2025
12:45 PM - 02:15 PM

The roundtable will be held at the Council Chamber, IISc, Bengaluru

Indian participation

Shri Abhishek Singh, (Co-Chair)

Shri Abhishek Singh, (Co-Chair)

Additional Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) of the Government of India Chief Executive Officer, IndiaAI Mission

French Participation

H.E. Mr. Marc Lamy, (Co-Chair)

H.E. Mr. Marc Lamy, (Co-Chair)

Consul General of France in Bengaluru

Indian participation

Dr. Preeti Banzal

Dr. Preeti Banzal

Adviser/Scientist G, Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India

French Participation

H.E. Mr. Arthur Barichard

H.E. Mr. Arthur Barichard

Deputy Ambassador for Digital Affairs, French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs

Indian participation

Shri Mahaveer Singhvi

Shri Mahaveer Singhvi

Joint Secretary, New, Emerging & Strategic Technologies Division, Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India

French Participation

Ms. Marie Khater

Ms. Marie Khater

Economic Counsellor, Energy and Industry Division,
Embassy of France in India

Indian participation

Prof. Chiranjib Bhattacharyya

Prof. Chiranjib Bhattacharyya

Professor and Chair, Computer Science and Automation (CSA), IISc Bengaluru

French Participation

Mr. Francis Rousseaux

Mr. Francis Rousseaux

International Technical Expert on AI, iSPIRT Foundation

Indian participation

Mr. Ankit Bose

Mr. Ankit Bose

Head of AI, nasscom

French Participation

Ms. Annie Biro

Ms. Annie Biro

Economic Counsellor, Consulate General of France in Bengaluru

Indian participation

Dr. Sarayu Natarajan

Dr. Sarayu Natarajan

Founder, Aapti Institute

French Participation

Mr. Alexandre Correia

Mr. Alexandre Correia

Director of Aeroline India, Sopra Steria

Mr. Arvind Bajaj

Mr. Arvind Bajaj

India Director of Big Data & Security, Atos-Eviden

11th February 2025
AI Action Summit 2025
Team

Organising Team

Animesh Jain - Organising Team Member and Policy Fellow, OPSA-PAIU
Organising Team Member
Animesh Jain

Senior Policy Fellow (adjunct),
Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser
to the Government of India

Shefali Mehra - Organising Team Member
Organising Team Member
Shefali Mehra

Policy Analyst
Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru